Triumph or Agony

2006 studio album by Rhapsody of Fire
Triumph or Agony
Studio album by
Rhapsody of Fire
Released25 September 2006
Genre
  • Symphonic power metal
  • neoclassical metal
Length62:33
76:07 (Deluxe edition)
LabelSPV GmbH
ProducerLuca Turilli, Alex Staropoli, Sascha Paeth
Rhapsody of Fire chronology
Live in Canada 2005: The Dark Secret
(2006) 		Triumph or Agony
(2006) 		The Frozen Tears of Angels
(2010)
Singles from Triumph or Agony
  1. "A New Saga Begins"
    Released: Summer 2006
  2. "Silent Dream"
    Released: 2007
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]

Triumph or Agony is the seventh studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire, released in Europe on 25 September 2006. It is the first album that the band released after their name change.

Triumph or Agony features a live 70 piece orchestra and choir and was again self-produced by guitarist/songwriter Luca Turilli and keyboardist/songwriter Alex Staropoli with assistance from co-producer Sascha Paeth. The album also features an array of guest narrators and character actors, including several recruits from the London theatre scene, Susannah York of the Superman film series and a return appearance by Christopher Lee, as the all-knowing ‘Wizard King’. The song "Il Canto del Vento", is the first song in the band's history that is not composed by Turilli or Staropoli, instead it was composed by Fabio Lione.

The cover art is done by artist Jeff Easley, famous for his work on the Dungeons & Dragons line of products.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Luca Turilli, except track 6 by Fabio Lione; all music is composed by Turilli and Alex Staropoli, except track 6 by Fabio Lione

No.TitleLength
1."Dar-Kunor (instrumental)"
I. "Echoes from the Elvish Woods"
II. "Fear of the Dungeons"		3:13
  • 1:30
  • 1:43
2."Triumph or Agony"5:02
3."Heart of the Darklands"4:10
4."Old Age of Wonders"4:35
5."The Myth of the Holy Sword"5:03
6."Il Canto del Vento" ("The Chant of the Wind")3:54
7."Silent Dream"3:50
8."Bloody Red Dungeons"5:11
9."Son of Pain"4:42
10."The Mystic Prophecy of the Demonknight"
I. "A New Saga Begins"
II. "Through the Portals of Agony"
III. "The Black Order"
IV. "Nekron's Bloody Rhymes"
V. "Escape from Horror"		16:26
  • 8:39
  • 0:41
  • 2:36
  • 0:41
  • 3:45
    • 11."Dark Reign of Fire"
    I. "Dark Reign of Fire"
    II. "Winter Dawn's Theme    "    		6:26
  • 3:31
  • 2:56
    • Total length:62:32
    French edition bonus tracks
    No.TitleLength
    12."Son of Pain (French version)"4:42
    Total length:67:14
    French deluxe edition bonus tracks
    No.TitleLength
    13."A New Saga Begins (Radio Edit)"4:19
    14."Defenders of Gaia"4:35
    Total length:76:08
    Italian edition bonus tracks
    No.TitleLength
    12."Defenders of Gaia"4:35
    13."A New Saga Begins (Radio Edit)"4:19
    14."Son of Pain (Italian version)"4:42
    Total length:76:08

    Personnel

    Rhapsody of Fire

    Additional personnel

    • Manuel Staropoli – flute, recorder
    • Christopher Lee – narration
    • Toby Eddington – narration
    • Stash Kirkbride – narration
    • Christina Lee – narration
    • Marcus D'Amico – narration
    • Simon Fielding – narration
    • Susannah York – narration
    • Dominique Leurquin – guitar solos (2, 5, 7, 8)
    • Johannes Monno – guitars (classical)
    • Bridget Fogle – soprano vocals

    Choir

    • Cinzia Rizzo, Miro Rodenberg, Olaf Hayer, Previn Moore, Robert Hunecke-Rizzo, Thomas Rettke

    Brno Academy Choir

    • Dana Kurečková, Iva Holubová, Jana Klinerová, Jaroslava Zezulová, Kateřina Hudcová, Lucie Matalová, Ludmila Kieseljovová, Ludmila Markesová, Vladimíra Dolejšová, Jiří Klecker, Karel Seffer, Libor Markes, Michael Pinsker, Milan Hanzliczek, Pavel Konárek, Robert Kurečka, Serhij Derda, Tomáš Ibrmajer, Vladimír Kutnohorský, Alena Sobolová, Andrea Dáňová, Barbora Francová, Dana Toncrová, Eva Badalová, Eva Klepalová, Kateřina Nejedlá, Kateřina Pastrňáková, Magda Krejčová, Marie Vališová, Petra Bodová, Petra Koňárková, Terezie Kamenická, Terezie Plevová, Zora Jaborníková, Ivan Nepivoda, Jakub Herzan, Jiří Barták, Marek Mikuš, Matěj Dupal, Tomáš Kamenický, Vladimír Prachař, Vít Matuška

    Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra

    • Emil Nosek – violin
    • František Hrubý – violin
    • Hana Roušarová – violin
    • Hana Tesařová – violin
    • Jan Nedoma – violin
    • Jana Štípková – violin
    • Jitka Hanáková – violin
    • Milan Lapka – violin
    • Miroslav Křivánek – violin
    • Přemysl Roušar – violin
    • Dana Blahutová – violin
    • Hana Bílková – violin
    • Jan Kotulan – violin
    • Jaroslav Aladzas – violin
    • Jitka Šuranská – violin
    • Josef Geryk – violin
    • Josef Kubelka – violin
    • Josef Vyžrálek – violin
    • Leo Sláma – violin
    • Yvona Fialová – violin
    • Dana Božková – viola
    • Juraj Petrovič – viola
    • Lucie Dümlerová – viola
    • Michaela Slámová – viola
    • Miroslav Kašný – viola
    • Oldřich Šebestík – viola
    • Pavel Novák – viola
    • Roman Janů – viola
    • Alexandr Erml – celli
    • David Kefer – celli
    • Erich Hulín – celli
    • Hana Škarpová – celli
    • Zdenka Aladzasová – celli
    • Zuzana Ermlová – celli
    • Josef Horák – double bass
    • Michal Pášma – double bass
    • Pavel Juřík – double bass
    • Vladimír Hudeček – double bass
    • Vítězslav Pelikán – double bass
    • Jana Holásková – flute
    • Jiřina Vodičková – flute
    • Vladimír Vodička – flute
    • Krista Hallová – oboe
    • Svatopluk Holásek – oboe
    • Aleš Pavlorek – clarinet
    • Jiří Kundl – clarinet
    • Jaroslav Janoštík – bassoon
    • Václav Kaniok – bassoon
    • František Vyskočil – French horn
    • Jiří Zatloukal – French horn
    • Josef Číhal – French horn
    • Milan Kubát – French horn
    • Rudolf Linner – French horn
    • Vlastimil Kelar – French horn
    • Pavel Skopal – trumpet
    • Rostislav Killar – trumpet
    • Zdeněk Macek – trumpet
    • Ivan Dřínovský – trombone
    • Milan Tesař – trombone
    • Roman Sklenář – trombone
    • Miloslav Žváček – tuba
    • Lucie Vápová – harp

    Production

    • Jeff Easley – cover art
    • Petr Pololanik – orchestra conductor
    • Marek Obdržálek – choir conductor
    • Sascha Paeth – production, engineering, mixing
    • Joey DeMaio – executive producer
    • Rob LaVaque – editing, engineering
    • Phillip Colodetti – editing, engineering
    • Bernd Kugler – orchestra and choir recording
    • Marc Lenz – orchestra and choir recording
    • Jan Wrede – orchestra and choir recording
    • Stefan Schmidt – orchestra and choir recording
    • Olaf Reitmeier – engineering

    Charts

    Chart (2006) Peak
    position
    French Albums (SNEP)[2] 59
    German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[3] 54
    Italian Albums (FIMI)[4] 18
    Japanese Albums (Oricon)[5] 40
    Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[6] 74

    References

    1. ^ Triumph or Agony at AllMusic
    2. ^ "Lescharts.com – Rhapsody Of Fire – Triumph Or Agony". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
    3. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Rhapsody Of Fire – Triumph Or Agony" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
    4. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Rhapsody Of Fire – Triumph Or Agony". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
    5. ^ "トライアンフ・オア・アゴニー | ラプソディー・オブ・ファイア" [Triumph Or Agony | Rhapsody Of Fire] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
    6. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Rhapsody Of Fire – Triumph Or Agony". Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 December 2021.

    External links

    • (in Italian) Triumph or Agony Album Review
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    • Alex Staropoli
    • Roberto De Micheli
    • Alessandro Sala
    • Giacomo Voli
    • Paolo Marchesich
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    • Live in Canada 2005: The Dark Secret (2006)
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